Video games, particularly computer based games and game stations, have become extremely popular. The combination of visual and audio stimulation has succeeded in capturing a significant portion of people's leisure time. Various games have been developed, with associated hardware, that further involves the sense of touch, by allowing for varying input instruments. In one example, a musical instrument such as a mock guitar, is utilized as a game input, thus involving the sense of touch.
Games have been developed providing for a virtual reality world, again based on stimulating various user senses. However, to date, the remaining senses, namely smell and taste have not been stimulated.
While the above has been described in relation to games, this is not meant to be limiting in any way. Many other uses of an electronically controlled scent system exist, such as alarms or for the improvement of communication, are specifically included herein.
U.S. Patent Application Publication S/N 2008/0043204 published Feb. 21, 2008 to Guo, is addressed to a digital scent movie projector with sound channels. Scent making devices release a scent into a cinema, thereby providing for film arts to provide a sense of sight, hearing and smell as part of movie.
A movie proceeds along a predetermined script, which does not allow for user interaction. Thus, the scents to be provided by Guo are predetermined, and are not subject to change by a user action. Additionally, scent provided by Guo is arranged for releasing scent into a large space, which is not appropriate for an individual use. Furthermore, the scent of Guo utilizes a plurality of scent cans feeding pressure reducing valves, and is thus limited in terms of its ability to accurately control the amount of persistence of the scent. Furthermore, a plurality of scent producers are required, thus adding to cost.
An additional problem with many prior art solutions is residual scent; particularly the scent continues to linger for a relatively long period after the desired emission, know as scent persistence. Residual scent is particularly problematic in the case of individual scent needs, such as computer gamers, which often play in undisturbed spaces, where scents easily linger. In particular, any physical element which has been contacted by a concentration of scent molecules continues to exude the scent. The residual scent further contaminates additional scents, and thus the need for a scent producing element for which persistence is controlled is readily apparent.
World Intellectual Property Organization publication WO 2010/079485 A1 published 15 Jul. 2010 to Scentcom, Ltd., the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference, is addressed to an electronically controlled scent producing element. Unfortunately, the electronically controlled scent producing element is arranged for use with a single container comprising a volatile scent liquid. To alternately produce one of a plurality of scents, a combination of electronically controlled scent producing elements are preferably supplied, as described in World Intellectual Property Organization Publication WO 2010/079486 A1 published 15 Jul. 2010 to Scentcom, Ltd., the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference, which is addressed to a method and apparatus for computer controlled scent delivery. Disadvantageously, the apparatus described is of a large size, requiring a central air mover.
Prior art devices arranged to deliver one of a plurality of scents thus typically require an atomizer associated with each of the plurality of scents. Such a plurality of atomizers prevents miniaturization.
Additionally, and without limitation, a device arranged to produce a plurality of scents which may be called on to produce those scents responsive to a game console, or other device, may not release the various scents at an equal rate. Volatile scent liquid is typically comprised of a mixture of fragrance and a solvent, also known as a diluting agent, which occupies volume. A requirement to provide any of the plurality of scents up to a predetermined number of emissions for any of the scents, thus requires that each scent occupy sufficient volume to meet the requirement. The total volume of the device is thus the volume of the minimum required number of emissions times the number of scent types, thus further preventing miniaturization.